“They can swim” isn’t a swimming level.

How do you know which class is actually right for your swimmer?

Choosing the right swimming class can be surprisingly subjective. A child might be able to swim a distance, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have the skills, technique, water confidence or foundations needed for the next level.

I created this Swim Level & Class Placement Chart to make swimmer placement clearer, more consistent and easier to explain. It's for swim schools, swimming teachers and parents.

Putting a swimmer into a class that is too advanced can make learning harder for everyone. The swimmer is constantly trying to keep up, while the teacher is either spending the lesson helping them catch up or, worse, their struggles go unnoticed.

And having to move a child down later can knock their confidence and frustrate their parents.

A simple way to see what a swimmer can actually do

The printable, downloadable 3 page PDF bundle gives you a practical system for matching a swimmer's current skills to six clearly defined swimming levels, rather than relying on age, distance or a quick “they can swim” judgement.

• 6 swimming levels from Water Confidence through to Advanced/Squad-ready
• A front-desk placement chart for helping parents answer simple this-or-that questions when choosing a class
• A Swimmer Assessment Questionnaire for teachers to take on deck and assess what a swimmer can actually do
• A parent-friendly explainer that explains how swimming progression and class placement work
• A consistent reference point for new swimmer assessments, trial lessons, reviews and parent conversations

Why getting the level right matters

The right class shouldn't be about putting a child in the highest level they can possibly squeeze into.

It should be about putting them where they can learn, participate, build confidence and succeed, while still being challenged.

Correct placement can help:

• Reduce frustration and struggling
• Identify missing foundations and skill gaps
• Give teachers a clearer starting point
• Make progression easier to understand
• Give parents confidence in their class choice
• Help swimmers enjoy lessons rather than constantly struggle

Who is it for?

✔Swim schools & front-desk staff - use the placement chart when speaking with parents about the right class.

✔Swim teachers & coaches - use the assessment questionnaire on pool deck to assess a swimmer against consistent criteria.

✔Parents - understand what your child actually needs before choosing or changing a swimming class.

✔PE teachers, swim camps & holiday programs - have a simple framework for quickly assessing different swimming abilities.

The idea behind this resource

I created it because “they can swim” means something different to everyone. A consistent set of criteria gives everyone a better way to answer the more useful question:

“What can this swimmer actually do, and what do they need to learn next?”

Download the Swim Level & Class Placement Chart, print it and have it ready at the front desk, on the pool deck or in your teaching toolkit.